By BARRY STREET
Trainer Bruce Marsh has a strong belief about Citi Habit, the up-and-coming half-brother to former champion galloper Rough Habit: "The further he goes the better he'll go."
Based on how well Citi Habit performed as a relative greenhorn in last year's Queensland Derby, Marsh would like to qualify the horse for the Brisbane Cup on June 11.
As expected, Citi Habit made no race of the $20,000 Cambridge Training Complex 2000, for winners of two to six races, at Te Rapa on Saturday.
It was his first middle-distance race this season and followed an unlucky second after being late getting clear in a premier quality 1600m at Ellerslie on Easter Saturday.
Rider Vinny Colgan did everything Marsh expected of him to land Citi Habit a winner by 2 1/4 lengths from the consistent Bia Desert and Likely Story, who had run Hawkes Bay Cup winner Bel Air to a long head in his previous race.
"Vinny was under threat of being jailed for life if he didn't win," Marsh joked yesterday.
"He must have taken me seriously because, even from the No 1 stall, he had the horse off the rails and in the clear on the first bend.
"The fence was not the place to be. They say that after the first few races it was cutting up down there."
Citi Habit has won four times but cannot hope to escape a Brisbane Cup ballot with that record.
Marsh hopes to greatly improve his status with a Chairman's Handicap bid at Doomben on May 12.
Citi Habit lacked racing experience when campaigning in Brisbane last winter, Marsh said, but proved he was a top stayer in the making by finishing sixth, only one place worse than New Zealand filly Giovana, in the Queensland Derby.
"It's only my assessment, but I honestly believe he'll stay all day."
Citi Habit is one of a strong four-horse Marsh-trained team booked to for Brisbane next Sunday.
The others are New Zealand Derby winner Hail, top sprinter-miler Cheiron and stayer Paddy Maloney, who, according to his trainer, ran an "enormous fourth" in the Hawkes Bay Cup on Saturday.
Hail, unsighted since the Derby at Ellerslie on Boxing Day, will compete in a trial at Foxton tomorrow.
Depending on his showing there, he could make a fresh start over 1600m in the Doomben Classic or take a softer option, albeit with a big weight, in a 1200m for 3-year-olds at Doomben on May 12.
Cheiron is being aimed initially for the Treasury Casino (formerly Doomben) 10,000 and Paddy Maloney for the Prime Minister's Cup over 2400m on the Gold Coast on May 16.
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Bel Air won himself a free trip to Adelaide when trouncing Classify and Cavallo Bruno at Hastings.
Part of the winner's prize for the Hawkes Bay Cup was exemption from any ballots and free air travel for the Carlton Draught Stakes on May 12 and Smokefree Adelaide Cup on May 21.
The Carlton Draught is a $A120,000 group three 2400m and the Cup a $A300,000 group one 3200m - and owner-trainer Peter Walker, of Takanini, was yesterday "very keen" about taking up the offer.
"It amounts to $7000-$8000 worth of transport," Walker enthused.
"I've been saying for some weeks that the horse has had enough but he keeps telling me otherwise.
"So, after I saline drench him tomorrow and give him a couple of days in a paddock, I'll assess him again.
"At this stage I'm pretty sure the trip will be all on."
Walker said he had never been to Adelaide but could count on being shown the ropes by fellow Takanini trainer Frank Ritchie, who has Likely Story entered for the Adelaide Cup.
Racing: Citi taking winning Habit to Doomben
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